September 2016 I-130 filers

[rahill 28]

Sooo, it's a HUGE pain to try contacting USCIS customer service rep via phone..especially if you live abroad like I do and trying to use some phone apps or skype which provides calls overseas. I tried at least 20 times now to call them and every time someone picks up they just can't hear me. I have no idea why...maybe because I'm using apps? It's very frustrating ..

So yes! This is really huge and distressing. I now question whether or not I should have put my overseas address on the form. I was advised by someone on this forum to put my current overseas address because it would show evidence of a bonafide marriage since we are both on the rental lease here. However, I just got through to USCIS (calling from ETHIOPIA!) and was elevated to a tier 2 customer service rep but when I was transferred it asked me to put in my call back number and they would call me back. Obviously, I can't do this. They can't call me here in Ethiopia. This is ridiculous and distressing and am now I am regretting having followed the advice of putting my overseas address on the forms.

[applerose 94]

Need the following dates:

noa1 delivered?

noa1 date on notice?

received date 09/19/16

priority date 09/19/16

notice date 09/20/16

Also what does it mean when it says:

Preference Classication:201 B INA SPOUSE OF USC

[JessieABC 159]

received date 09/19/16

priority date 09/19/16

notice date 09/20/16

Also what does it mean when it says:

Preference Classication:201 B INA SPOUSE OF USC

201B is just the category of the petition you filed.

Quote

§201(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") defines "immediate relatives" to include:

1. spouses,
2. minor children (under the age of twenty-one), and
3. parents of U.S. citizens (if the citizens are at least 21 years old).

This category is clearly reserved for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, not permanent residents. There is no limit to the number of immediate relative visas that may be issued in this category in any given year.

[Ulrica&Jesse 39]

So yes! This is really huge and distressing. I now question whether or not I should have put my overseas address on the form. I was advised by someone on this forum to put my current overseas address because it would show evidence of a bonafide marriage since we are both on the rental lease here. However, I just got through to USCIS (calling from ETHIOPIA!) and was elevated to a tier 2 customer service rep but when I was transferred it asked me to put in my call back number and they would call me back. Obviously, I can't do this. They can't call me here in Ethiopia. This is ridiculous and distressing and am now I am regretting having followed the advice of putting my overseas address on the forms.

I called at least 30 times yesterday haha, and pretty much every time different rep would tell different info ...couple of them said I need to write an actual letter to the service center that is processing my petition (Wonderful!) others kept telling me they could help me on the line but then would transfer me to tier 2 which NEVER were available so that's another dead end. Since we haven't actually moved they told me they can't just change my mailing address which is ridiculous. If I knew how much of a pain in the butt this would be, I would just include a little note asking them to use my husbands US address as mailing address... They kept telling me to send letter to the service center but I don't even know their address which should be on the hard copy notification that they already sent me ! Which I already haven't received and won't receive... I don't know...I guess I'll try calling next week and see if I'm more lucky next time I hope I at least will get notified via email in case or whenever I will get approved otherwise I won't even know what happened to my petition ...

Edited October 8, 2016 by Ulrica&Jesse

[aidensbubba 11]

Hi Kellyh,

We now have our I-130 petition approved meaning NOA2 confirmed right?

Is there a long wait after NOA2 to NVC ?

Thanks

Our case was approved 16th sept, that was 3 weeks ago and we have not heard a thing since, waiting waiting waiting...

Am a little dissapointed as our case was approved so fast and now it's slowed down so it seems.... or that's what it feels like anyway

It's more frustrating and it's dragging...!

Edited October 8, 2016 by aidensbubba

[kellyh 27]

Our case was approved 16th sept, that was 3 weeks ago and we have not heard a thing since, waiting waiting waiting...

Am a little dissapointed as our case was approved so fast and now it's slowed down so it seems.... or that's what it feels like anyway

It's more frustrating and it's dragging...!

Hi aidensbubba,

congrats! Very happy for you that your case has been approved. Perhaps you can read the NVC guide that I copied below. (Link also included).

As you mentioned, it's been 3 wks since your case was approved, it may seem that you can try to call NVC and see if you can obtain your case number. Hope it helps.

Update us if you are able to get your case number.

Good luck!

Step 1 - Case Number

Once your I-130 has been approved from USCIS, it will be sent to NVC (a part of the Department of State). Depending what service center the I-130 is coming from, this can take anywhere from a few business days to a few weeks. You may or may not get an email from USCIS/update on their website stating when it was sent.

You won't get correspondence from NVC when they receive your case from USCIS. You need to call an operator at NVC to find this out.

Once NVC does receive your case, it's currently taking around 3 weeks for a case number to be assigned..

If you'd like to stay on top of things, it's best to call about once a week after your NOA2 to see if NVC has received your case. Once they do have your case and about 2-3 weeks have passed since then, increase your calls to about 2-3 times a week (or even more if you wish) until you get a case number assigned.

• Note: if your case doesn't arrive at NVC in a timely manner (timely manner being the current wait time), VJ member tokinaija suggests: "Call USCIS, and specifically request to be connected to a Tier 2 supervisor (bypassing the contract customer reps). When connected to a Tier 2 representative, request that you want confirmation that your approved case has been physically shipped to NVC. In amenable words, request for the specific date that the package was shipped. If you are lucky, you will get someone who would take the time to confirm this for you."

Once a case number is assigned, get that number along with the IIN (Invoice Identification Number) from the operator. If the operator doesn't want to give over the IIN (some operators are finicky), then just call back up later and try again. And don't worry about the BIN (Beneficiary Identification Number) as it's no longer needed. You only need the case number and IIN.

At the same time, you can give over both the petitioner's and beneficiary's email addresses. By doing this, ALL correspondence (initial information package, invoices, instructions, interview letter, checklists, etc) from NVC will be sent through email. This does not necessarily mean that YOU can send THEM information by email though. Only those eligible for EP (electronic processing) can email the AOS and IV packages (link to eligibility in the first section, under links).

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

[kellyh 27]

I also saw this just after I posted the above reply.

Want to Speed up NVC Process ?

Check Guides From Guide section for documents and list of stuff and follow this steps

Step 1 After USCIS NOA2 Gather all AOS / IV Package Documents In 3 weeks

Between USCIS Approving and NVC Case Number you have 2 to 3 weeks gather all AOS and IV Documents Get package ready.

Step 2 Obtain NVC Invoice and Case number.

​After 2 weeks of NOA2 Keep on Calling NVC every day to get case number And Invoice number

Step 3 Pay First Fee and DS261

After getting NVC Case Number and Invoice Number Log in to webpage Pay First Fee and Fill out DS261 Takes 24 to 38 Hr to get fee status paid.

Step 4 Confirm Agent / Ds261 Over Phone and Sent out Documents

Once First fee turns Paid Online ( Usualy 24 to 48 hr) Call NVC And confirm choice of agent over Phone If they won't keep on calling them Until someone will Or other fee won't be unlocked.Also Once you get Welcome letter on email Print out Document Checklist sheet And Sent in your documents to NVC

Step 5 Pay Other Fee and Fill out DS260 (Total time from DS 261 to here should be no longer then 15 days )

​Step 6 Conform Document delivery AT NVC And Ask them Processing Time..

Step 7 Check For CC ( Hopefully no REF )

Call them every other day 2 weeks from DS260 and Check status.. Also Check Online NVC Page If you have 3 N/A your case Complete!

Congratulation you are almost done.

Step 8 48 Hr After CC Confirmation Call NVC For appointment for interview

Congratulation On your NVC CC AND Good Luck with Interview

[JessieABC 159]

I've been reading that a lot of people pay AOS and send in AOS with IV packets without paying the IV fee first.

Others seem to send in both packets after DS 260 gets filled out.

Does anyone have any insight on the timing of the AOS and IV packets and whether they can both be sent even though the second fee hasn't been paid yet?

[onek 306]

Username........LB...SC...Sent..Deli..NOA1..Rcvd...Day.RFE...Deli2.NOA2..Rcvd2..Day2...NVC

aidensbubba.....CSC..TSC.08/08..?/??..8/11..??/??..??..--/--.--/--.09/16.09/19..036....--/--

Duchaine........CSC..YSC.08/09..8/15..8/16..??/??..??..09/20.09/26.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Wizzle..........CSC..YSC.08/29..8/31..9/01..09/06..04..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Charlie_AnaLynn.PSC..NSC.08/31..9/02..9/08..09/13..05..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Ssonjasch.......CSC..NSC.09/03..9/03..9/08..09/15..08..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Efquake.........CSC..TSC.09/01..9/05..9/06..09/21..11..--/--.--/--.10/03.--/--..026....--/--

kellyh..........PSC..NSC.09/06..9/08..9/12..09/17..07..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

panthera........CSC..CSC.09/06..9/08..9/12..09/16..06..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

MujtabaRahman...CSC..YSC.09/07..9/09..9/12..09/20..07..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Keke32837.......CSC..NSC.09/01..9/06..9/08..09/10..03..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

heyusa..........CSC..NSC.09/08..9/14..9/16..--/--..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

nyokie..........PSC..NSC.09/09..9/16..9/16..09/26..06..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

azeemguy........CSC..???.09/09..?/??..9/12..??/??..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Journeyvisa2016.CSC..TSC.09/12..9/14..9/15..--/--..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

onek............CSC..TSC.09/13..9/16..9/20..09/27..07..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

thegreatphonix..CSC..NSC.09/13..9/16..9/20..09/27..07..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

branjo..........CSC..NSC.09/14..9/16..9/20..--/--..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

BethyWink.......PSC..TSC.09/14..9/16..9/21..09/26..06..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

misshepburn.....CSC..TSC.09/15..9/17..9/19..09/26..06..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

applerose.......CSC..NSC.09/16..9/19..9/20..09/26..05..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Phillygirl......CSC..NSC.09/17..9/20..9/23..--/--..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

j0hnj3ly........CSC..YSC.09/20..9/21..9/23..09/29..06..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Ulrica&Jesse....CSC..NSC.09/22..9/27..9/29..--/--..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

JessieABC.......CSC..NSC.09/22..9/26..9/28..10/03..04..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

rahill..........CSC..NSC.09/22..9/26..9/28..--/--..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

Iturbides06.....CSC..TSC.09/24..9/26..9/28..10/03..04..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

The waddoups....CSC..NSC.09/28.10/03.10/06..??/??..--..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

maitte28........???..???.10/03..?/??..?/??..??/??..??..--/--.--/--.--/--.--/--..---....--/--

-------

LB: Lockbox. Location Where you mailed the Application Packet

*SC: Transferred to Service Center. Sent: ​Date Packet Was Mailed

Deli: Date Packet Delivered to USCIS NOA1: Date Listed on Notice

Rcvd: Date NOA received in the mail NOA2: Date of Case Approval

NVC: Date case sent to NVC

Day : Number of days from Deli to Rcvd

Rcvd2: Date NOA2 Received in Mail Day2: Number of days from NOA1 to NOA 2

RFE: Date RFE Issued Deli2: Date RFE Delivered to USCIS

-----

Service Center Locations:

NSC: Nebraska Service Center TSC: Texas Service Center

YSC: Potomac Service Center CSC: California Service Center

VSC: Vermont Service Center

[onek 306]

Good night all.

My spouse filed for me the i130 and after reading all the questions and answers i will say I am with u all, all the way. Sept 12 mailed to Chicago via express , email saying received sept 15 and got my noa1 saying it was sent to the Texas office and a priority date of sept 14.

As of date cheque not cashed.

We are to be patient and pray.

Journeyvisa2016, welcome to forum. Congrats on filing and progress. I hope you stay active here and report your progress as soon as you get it. Based on my estimate, you will be getting arrived around the end of the month. Look forward to hearing about your progress. Good luck

[onek 306]

hi can u add me to your list

locker box: chicago 09/16/16

sc: nebraska 09/19/16

noa1 text an email 09/21/16

noa1 hardcopy received 09/26/16

Hey applerose,

Welcome to the club. Thanks for joining the team. There are a lot of wonderful people here in the room who love to support each others. Feel free to ask if you have any questions and one of the expert volunteers will have an answer for you right away.

P.S: Don't ask professor j0hnj3ly anything as she is extremely busy grading students' exams at her university AND she is a tough grader

[onek 306]

Hi aidensbubba,

congrats! Very happy for you that your case has been approved. Perhaps you can read the NVC guide that I copied below. (Link also included).

As you mentioned, it's been 3 wks since your case was approved, it may seem that you can try to call NVC and see if you can obtain your case number. Hope it helps.

Update us if you are able to get your case number.

Good luck!

Hey kellyh,

Maybe it's just my weak vision that your fonts are pretty difficult for me to read (even though they look pretty). Could you please change them to normal fonts next time? Thanks.

[j0hnj3ly 2]

I've been reading that a lot of people pay AOS and send in AOS with IV packets without paying the IV fee first.

Others seem to send in both packets after DS 260 gets filled out.

Does anyone have any insight on the timing of the AOS and IV packets and whether they can both be sent even though the second fee hasn't been paid yet?

Hi JessieABC -- I've read that a lot of people do that, as well. They will print the AOS barcode twice, use one for the AOS packet and the other for the IV packet. From what I understand, it's an acceptable way to do it; anecdotally, I haven't seen anyone on here or the NVC Facebook page who have gotten their wrists slapped for doing so. I think the reason why could be attributable to the IV fee becoming payable before the joint AOS/IV packet is received at NVC. It apparently cuts down quite a bit of time.

Hey applerose,

Welcome to the club. Thanks for joining the team. There are a lot of wonderful people here in the room who love to support each others. Feel free to ask if you have any questions and one of the expert volunteers will have an answer for you right away.

P.S: Don't ask professor j0hnj3ly anything as she is extremely busy grading students' exams at her university AND she is a tough grader

Terribly, terribly tough. Fs all around!

[onek 306]

Journeyvisa2016, welcome to forum. Congrats on filing and progress. I hope you stay active here and report your progress as soon as you get it. Based on my estimate, you will be getting approved around the end of the month. Look forward to hearing about your progress. Good luck

[kellyh 27]

Hey kellyh,

Maybe it's just my weak vision that your fonts are pretty difficult for me to read (even though they look pretty). Could you please change them to normal fonts next time? Thanks.

sorry, will keep with this font .